Protected Area Network - National Parks of India – I

By Sudarshan Gurjar

Category II: National Park

• Large natural or near natural areas set aside to protect large-

scale ecological processes, along with the complement of

species and ecosystems characteristic of the area, which also

provide a foundation for environmentally and culturally

compatible spiritual, scientific, educational, recreational and

visitor opportunities.

प्रजातियों और पाररस्थितिक िंत्र की विशेषिा के साि-साि बडे पैमाने पर पाररस्थितिक प्रक्रियाओ ंकी रक्षा करना

• An international organization working in the field of nature

conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.

IUCN

➢ International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. अिंरााष्ट्रीय प्रकृति सरंक्षण सघं➢ Established in 1948.

➢ It is involved in data gathering and analysis, research, field projects, advocacy, and education. डेटा एकत्र करना और विशे्लषण, अनुसंधान, के्षत्र पररयोजनाएं

➢ It has a membership of over 1400 governmental and non-governmental

organizations. गैर-सरकारी संगठन।➢ IUCN has observer and consultative status at the United Nations,

(संयुक्त राष्ट्र में IUCN को पयािेक्षक और परामशादात्री का दजाा प्राप्त है) and plays a role in the implementation of several

international conventions on nature conservation and biodiversity.

(प्रकृति संरक्षण और जैि विविधिा)

➢ It was involved in establishing the World Wide Fund for Nature (प्रकृति संरक्षण हेिु विश्वव्यापी कोष) and the World

Conservation Monitoring Centre.

विश्व संरक्षण तनगरानी कें द्र

IUCN and India

▪ India, a megadiverse country with only 2.4% of the world's land

area, accounts for 7-8% of all recorded species, including over

45,000 species of plants and 91,000 species of animals.

▪ भारि, दतुनया के केिल 2.4% भतूम के्षत्र के साि, सभी दजा प्रजातियों के 7-8% के तलए स्जम्मेदार है, स्जसमेंपौधों की 45,000 से अतधक प्रजातियां और 91,000 प्रजातियां शातमल हैं।

▪ India became a State Member of IUCN in 1969

International Union for Conservation of Nature

Protected Areas

▪ IUCN protected area categories:

▪ Category Ia – Strict Nature Reserve

▪ Category Ib – Wilderness Area

▪ Category II – National Park राष्ट्रीय उद्यान▪ Category III – Natural Monument or Feature (प्राकृतिक थमारक)

▪ Category IV – Habitat/Species Management Area (पयाािास / प्रजाति प्रबंधन के्षत्र)

▪ Category V – Protected Landscape/Seascape/Area भ-ूदृश्य▪ Category VI – Protected Area with sustainable use of natural resources

● The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red

List or Red Data List) was founded in 1964.

● It has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source

on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.

● A series of Regional Red Lists are produced by countries or organizations.

IUCN Red List

IUCN criteria

● The IUCN system uses a set of five quantitative criteria to assess the extinction risk of a given species.

● In general, these criteria consider:

1. The rate of population decline. जनसंख्या की दर में तगरािट2. The geographic range. भौगोतलक सीमा3. Whether the species already possesses a small population size (mature individuals only). क्या

प्रजातियों में पहले से ही एक छोटी आबादी में है4. Whether the species population is very small or lives in a restricted area.

क्या प्रजातियों की आबादी बहुि कम है या प्रतिबंतधि के्षत्र में रहिी है5. Whether the results of a quantitative analysis indicate a high probability of extinction in the wild.

क्या मात्रात्मक विशे्लषण के पररणाम विलुप्त होने की उच्च संभािना को इंतगि करिे हैं

।

IUCN Red list categories

● Species are classified by the IUCN Red List into nine groups:

1. Extinct (EX)– No known individuals remaining. विलुप्त - िे प्रजातियां जो विगि 50 िषों में अपने प्राकृतिकआिास में न देखी गई हो

2. Extinct in the wild (EW)– Known only to survive in captivity, or as a naturalized

population outside its historic range. िन से विलुप्त िे प्रजातियां जो अपने प्राकृतिक आिास में नहीं पाई जािी क्रकंिु उन्हेंकृवत्रम आिासों एिं तचक्रडया घरों में संरस्क्षि क्रकया गया है

3. Critically endangered (CR)– Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild; Population

decline- more than 90% in last 10 years or three generations. अति संकटग्रथि प्रजातियां ऐसी प्रजातियांस्जनकी जनसंख्या में विगि 10 िषों में 90% की कमी दजा की गई हो 0r कुल संख्या 250 से कम हो ििा 3 िषा में 25% की कमी आ गई हो

4. Endangered (EN)– High risk of extinction in the

wild; Population decline: >70% in last 10 years or three

generation.

संकटग्रथि प्रजातियों ऐसी प्रजातियां स्जनकी जनसंख्या में विगि 10 िषों में 70% कीकमी हुई हो orििामान में उनकी कुल जनसंख्या 2500 से कम हो और 5 िषा के अदंर 20% की कमी देखीजा रही हो

5. Vulnerable (VU)– High risk of endangerment in the wild; Population

decline: >50% in last 10 years.

संिेदनशील प्रजातियां िे प्रजातियां स्जनकी संख्या में 10 िषों में 50% की कमी हुई होor ििामान में उनकी कुल संख्या 10000 से कम हो ििा 10 िषा में 10% की कमी दजा की जा रही हो

5. Near threatened (NT)– Likely to become endangered in the near future. संकटपन्न6. Least concern (LC)– Lowest risk (Does not qualify for a more at-risk

category; widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.)संकट मुक्त7. Data deficient (DD)– Not enough data to make an assessment of its risk of extinction. आकंडे

अपयााप्त

8. Not evaluated (NE)– Has not yet been evaluated against the criteriaआंकडे उपलब्ध नहीं.

● Centrally sponsored scheme launched in 1973.

● The project aims at ensuring a viable population of tigers in their natural

habitats and protecting them from extinction..

● Project Tiger is administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority.

Project Tiger

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) राष्ट्रीय बाघ संरक्षण प्रातधकरण

● The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2006 provided for creatingthe

National Tiger Conservation Authority.

● The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory body.

● Minister for Environment and Forests is its Chairperson and the Minister of

State for Environment and Forests is the Vice-chairperson.

Powers and functions of NTCA

● Approval of Tiger Conservation Plan prepared by States,

● Laying down normative standards for tiger conservation,

● Providing information on several aspects which include protection, tiger estimation,

patrolling, etc.,

● Ensuring measures for addressing man-wild animal conflicts and fostering coexistence with

local people,

● Preparing annual report for laying before Parliament,

● Ensuring agricultural, livelihood interests of people living in and around Tiger Reserves.

Structure of a Tiger Reserve

● Tiger reserves which are governed by Project Tiger have two zones:

1. Core zone:

● Critical inviolate tiger habitat areas

● It has the legal status of a national park or wildlife sanctuary

● It is kept free of all biotic and human disturbances

2. Buffer Zone:

● Surrounds core zone

● It aims at promoting coexistence between wildlife and human activity

● The livelihood, developmental, social and cultural rights of the local people are recognised in this zone.

Note: The alteration of boundaries or denotification of Tiger Reserves can be done by state governments but only

with the prior approval of NTCA and National Board for Wild Life. राष्ट्रीय िन्यजीि बोडा

Tiger Census

● Indian Tiger Census is conducted by NTCA in collaboration with the Wildlife

Institute of India (WII). (The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), an autonomous

institution under the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate

change, Government of India, was established in 1982.Dehradun)

● Conducted after every 4 years (2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018).

● In the case of tigers, every individual tiger will have a unique stripe pattern— just like our

fingerprints. (Camera trapping method scans stripes)

● Where the camera trappings are unavailable because of logistical constraints, DNA extracts

from scat (poop) samples are collected for analysis.

Methods for Tiger Census

1. PugmarkTechnique:

● Most popular technique

● A tiger leaves a distinct pugmark on the ground, different from that of others in the big cat

family.

● This is the cheapest technique and can assess the number, sex ratio and age (young or adult) of

large cats but it is not very reliable as its accuracy is not very good.

2. Camera trapping Method:

● Heat and motion sensitive cameras with night vision facility are installed in tiger areas and left for several days

to capture images of individual tigers.

● Accuracy almost same as Pugmark method.

● But it does not involve labour survey done in Pugmark method, therefore there is no local employment

generation.

● Also cameras cannot be installed at every place that is likely to have tigers.

● Also, there is no certainty that the tiger would walk into a camera’s range.

● Salty, hot and humid areas=> Damage to camera

● Costlier method than Pugmark.

3.Poop/scat Method: Poop/scat (droppings of the tiger) is analyzed by DNA sampling to arrive at a more accurate

count.

4.Radio Collar Method: Tigers are captured and are fitted with a radio collar. (This method fails when the

concerned tiger enters the salty water)

5.Double-sampling Method: First count by Pugmark technique, then

reconfirmation by Camera trapping method;

Tiger Census, 2014

● “Status of Tigers in India, 2014” report by NTCA

Findings:

● India is home to world’s 70% of the tigers

● 30% increase from 2011; 2226 tigers in 2014 (1706 in 2010; 1411 tigers in

2006)

● Karnataka has the highest number of tigers

● The tiger population has increased in Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Madhya

Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

● The Mudumalai-Bandipur-Nagarhole-Wayanad belt across Karnataka, Tamil

Nadu and Kerala: 570 tigers. (world’s single largest tiger population)

● Decline in population in states such as Odisha, Jharkhand and Andhra

Pradesh due to poaching and insurgency.

Tiger Census, 2018

● This is the first time neighbouring countries of Nepal, Bangladesh and

Bhutan took part in the census because they constitute a larger tiger

range in the Indian subcontinent.

● This collaboration ensured that there is no double counting of tigers that

move between national borders and it will be possible to count how

many are shared between the countries.

● Parks sharing borders:

1. Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan: Manas National Park in Assam.

2. Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar: Chitwan National Park in Nepal.

3. Pilibhit Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh: Shuklaphanta National Park in

Nepal.

Findings of tiger census, 2018 - ‘Status of Tigers in India – 2018’

● There has been a 33 per cent jump in the number of tigers from 2014.

● The number of tigers increased from 2,226 in 2014 to 2,967 in 2018.

● Madhya Pradesh saw the highest number of tigers at 526, closely followed by Karnataka at 524 with

Uttarakhand at number 3 with 442 tigers.

● India achieved its commitment to the St.Petersburg Declaration, of doubling Tiger population, much in

advance to the 2022 deadline.

● Chhattisgarh and Mizoram saw a decline in their tiger numbers while tiger’s numbers in Odisha remained

constant.

M-STrIPES

● M-STrIPES = Monitoring System for Tigers-Intensive Protection and Ecological Status.

बाघ संगणना के लिये 'मॉलनटर ंग लसस्‍टम फॉ टाइगसस इंटेंलसव प्रोटेक्‍शन एंड इकोिॉलिकि स्‍टेट्स

● Android software for collecting, archiving and analyzing data.

● Forest guards in tiger reserves are equipped with personal digital assistants and GPS devices to

capture data relating to tiger sightings, deaths, wildlife crime and ecological observations while

patrolling.

● M-STrIPES maps the patrol routes of forest guards, and the resulting data are then analyzed in a

geographic information system.

Protection Status:

Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List:

Endangered.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild

Fauna and Flora (CITES): Appendix I.

Global Tiger Recovery Program (GTRP)

● Tigers are scattered among 13 Asian Tiger Range Countries (TRCs): Bangladesh, Bhutan,

Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russian Federation,

Thailand, and Vietnam.

● To solve the tiger crisis, which represents the larger Asian biodiversity crisis, the TRCs,

international organizations, and civil society came together on a collaborative platform within

the framework of the Global Tiger Initiative (GTI) at St. Petersburg, Russia

● After a two-year process of sharing knowledge and best practices and developing a common

vision, a GTRP was developed, with the shared goal of doubling the number of wild tigers

globally by 2022

▪ Dachigam National Park

▪ Marsar lake

Dachigam National

Park is located 22

kilometers from Srinagar.

▪ Hemis National Park (or Hemis High Altitude National Park) is a high altitude national park in the eastern Ladakh Union Territory of the Republic of India. Globally famous for its snow leopards.

▪ The park is bounded on the north by the banks of the Indus River, and includes the catchments of Markha river.

Kishtwar National Park is a national park located in

the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, India.

It is bounded to the north by Rinnay river, south by

Kibar Nala catchment, east by main divide of Great

Himalaya and west by Marwa river.

Salim Ali National Park or City Forest National

Park was a national park located in Srinagar

▪ Pin Valley National Park is a National park of India located within the Lahaul and Spiti district, in the state of Himachal Pradesh, in far northern India. within the Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve

▪ The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP), is one of India's national parks, is located in Kullu region in the state of Himachal Pradesh.

Tirthan flows through Great Himalayan National Park in H.P

Simbalbara National Park is

a national park in India, located in the

Paonta Valley of Sirmour

District, Himachal Pradesh, along its

border with Haryana. The vegetation

consists of dense Sal forests

▪ Valley of Flowers National Park is an Indian national park, located in North Chamoli, in the state of Uttarakhand and is known for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers and the variety of flora

▪ Rajaji National Park

▪ three wildlife sanctuaries in the area namely, Chilla, Motichurand Rajaji sanctuaries were merged into one.

▪ three districts of Uttarakhand: Haridwar, Dehradun and Pauri Garhwal.

▪ The Ganga and Song rivers flow through the park.

Jim Corbett National Park is the oldest national park in India and

was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park to protect

the endangered Bengal tiger. It is located in Nainital district and Pauri

Garhwal district of Uttarakhand and was named after Jim Corbett.

▪ situated in the Uttarkashi district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.

Govind Pashu Vihar National Park

This is the place from which the Indian Government has inaugurated the Snow Leopard Project 2009

Sikkim,Kashmir

▪ Kalesar National Park and adjacent Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary are protected areas in Yamunanagar district of Haryana state in India

▪ Kalesar is a popular destination for leopards, panthers, elephants.

The Dudhwa Tiger Reserve is a protected area

in Uttar Pradesh that stretches mainly across

the Lakhimpur Kheri and Bahraich districts and

comprises the Dudhwa National Park, Kishanpur

Wildlife Sanctuary and Katarniaghat Wildlife

Sanctuary.

▪ The protected area is home for tigers, leopards, Asiatic black bears, sloth bears, Swamp deer, rhinoceros, elephants

Great Indian Bustard – Rajasthan, Gujarat,

Pakistan, Heaviest of the flying bird (State bird

of Rajasthan)

▪ Ranthambhore was established as the Sawai Madhopur Sanctuary in 1955 by the Government of India and was declared one of the Project Tiger reserves in 1973.

▪ known for its Bengal tigers.

▪ Other fauna include the Indian leopard, nilgai, wild boar, sambar, striped hyena, sloth bear,

▪ Sariska National Park

▪ Alwar district, Rajasthan,

▪ Apart from the Bengal tiger, the reserve includes many wildlife species including Indian leopard, jungle cat.

Mukundra Hills (Darrah) National Park

▪ Keoladeo National Park or Keoladeo Ghana National Park formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Bharatpur, Rajasthan

▪ Valmiki National Park, Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary is located at the India-Nepal border in the West Champaran district of Bihar, India on the bank of river Gandak.

▪ Harsha – Masan River system originates from the Valmiki Forests and forms Burhi Gandak River down south. River Pandai flows into Bihar (India) from Nepal in the eastern end of the Sanctuary and meets Masan.

▪ Bengal tiger,Indian rhinoceros

▪ Kaziranga National Park

▪ which hosts two-thirds of the world's great one-horned rhinoceroses,

The park area is

circumscribed by the

Brahmaputra River, which

forms the northern and

eastern boundaries, and

the Mora Diphlu, which

forms the southern

boundary. Other notable

rivers within the park are

the Diphlu

▪ It has a rich flora and fauna, including great Indian rhinoceros, pygmy hog, Asian elephant, wild water buffalo and Bengal tiger.

The Orang National Park

Pachnoi river, Belsiri river

and Dhansiri River border the park

and join the Brahmaputra river

▪ Dibru-Saikhowa National Park

▪ Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is a national park in Assam, India, located in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts.

▪ The park is bounded by the Brahmaputra and Lohit Rivers in the north and Dibruriver in the south.

▪ Species include Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, clouded leopard, jungle cat, sloth bear.

▪ Manas National Park

It has the largest population of the endangered Bengal florican to be found

anywhere.

▪ Nameri National Park- Elephant

▪ Nameri National Park is a national park in the foothills of the eastern Himalayas in the Sonitpur District of Assam, India

▪ Nameri shares its northern boundary with the Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary of Arunachal Pradesh,

▪ The main Rivers are Jia- Bhoroli and Bor Dikorai. Other tributaries of these two rivers are: Diji, Dinai, Nameri, Khari, Upper Dikiri .

▪ Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts

▪ Dehing is the name of the river that flows through this forest and Patkai is the hill

Dehing Patkai

▪ Mouling National Park is a national park located in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, spread primarily over the Upper Siang district and parts of the West Siang and East Siang district.

▪ The Siyom river flows along the Western fringes of the park and several small rivers such as the Siring, Krobong, Semong and Subong drain into the Siang river near the eastern boundary of the park.

▪ Namdapha National Park

▪ It is located between the Dapha bum range of the Mishmi Hills and the Patkai range with a wide elevation.

▪ The Namdapha flying squirrel

▪ Noa dihing, tributary of brahmaputra

▪ Meghalaya

▪ Balpakram National Park is a national park in the south of Garo Hills in Meghalaya, India

▪ Indian elephant

▪ Goneshwari River

▪ Nokrek National Park, the core area of Nokrek Biosphere Reserve, is a national park nearTura Peak in West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, India.

▪ All important rivers and streams of the Garo Hills region rise from the NokrekRange, of which the river Simsang, known as Someshwari when it emerges into Bangladesh at Baghmara, is the most prominent.

▪ Rongbang Dare Water Fall▪ Nokrek is also an important habitat of the Asian elephant

▪ Manipur

Sirohi National Park

▪ famous shirui lily (Lilium maclineae) grows naturally

▪ The national park is characterized by many floating decomposed plant materials locally called phumdis.

▪ Mizoram

▪ Murlen National Park is a national park located in the Champhai district Mizoram in India.

▪ Tuipui River

▪ The Phawngpui National Park provides habitat for a range of birds including the rare Blyth's tragopan, Mrs. Hume's pheasant, which is the Mizoram state bird.

▪ Nagaland

▪ Among the species that inhabit the park are the rare hoolock gibbon, golden langur, hornbill.

▪ Tripura

▪ Rajbari National Park is a national park in the Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary, Tripura, India.